THANKSGIVING PREVIEW: Cohasset at Hull

Sophomore quarterback Joe Dubovy has provided a spark for Hull (5-5) this season. He’ll have his hands full with Cohasset (10-1) as the Skippers are gearing up for the Div. 6 state final at Gillette Stadium.

It’s always a roll of the dice when you insert a new quarterback into the lineup, not to mention a sophomore with no varsity experience.

Yet when it came time to name his quarterback this season, Hull coach Jerry McGrath called on the services of sophomore Joe Dubovy. Installing Dubovy under center wasn’t entirely a high-stakes gamble on McGrath’s part.

Although Dubovy played only JV football last season, McGrath had seen how he handles pressure; Hull basketball coach Jim Quatromoni handed Dubovy the keys to his team's offense as a freshman point guard last season.

Any doubts about his football abilities were quickly erased when Dubovy threw for 223 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening 38-22 victory over South Shore Votech.

McGrath hopes for similar results on Thursday when the 5-foot-11, 165 pound Dubovy leads the Pirates (5-5) against Thanksgiving Day rival Cohasset (10-1) at Hull High. The Skippers, winners of the last three Turkey Day matchups, have won seven in a row and will play for the Division 6 state championship on Dec. 5 at Gillette Stadium. Cohasset defeated Hull, 42-12, on Sept. 27.

“Joe’s a pretty accurate passer,” said McGrath. “He threw four touchdowns in that first game and we were thinking we might have something special. He’s done a good job and if his production increases next year it will be great for the program.”

Dubovy has completed 80 of 161 passes for 1,614 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has been intercepted 10 times, including six in the last two games. Dubovy has also rushed for two touchdowns and passed for five two-point conversions.

He has been involved in several big-yardage plays, like the 65-yard scoring strike he threw to sophomore Alex Murphy during a 29-16 loss to Mashpee. Dubovy connected with Murphy again for a 64-yard TD in a win against Randolph, and combined with Cam Hill for a 50-yard touchdown in 36-12 win over Monomoy.

Dubovy’s 18 TD throws are the most in one season for a Hull QB in the 11 years that McGrath has been at the Pirates’ helm.

“I think that everyone was so fired up to play that first game that we unleashed our offense,” said Dubovy, who threw all four touchdowns to Murphy in the win over South Shore. “It’s definitely been a learning experience and the speed of the game is much faster.”

Quatromoni will embark on his 12th season behind the bench at Hull High next month. Until last season, he had never started a freshman guard. He had no problem, however, throwing Dubovy into the fire to direct the Pirates’ offense as a freshman.

“Joe is as steady and as calm of a player that I’ve seen from a freshman or sophomore,” said Quatromoni. “He has the ability to slow down whatever game he’s playing in order to do his job. He started 12 games last year and grew up a lot. He has the ability to not get caught up in that moment and be too concerned about how old he isn’t, and just do what’s being asked of him.”

Page 2 of 2 - Michael Warren is a senior wide receiver and one of Dubovy’s top targets, especially since Murphy went down with a knee injury. Warren, who has caught 20 passes from Dubovy, including two touchdowns, said that the young signal-caller deserves more credit for being such a steady presence on offense.

“I don’t think he gets as much credit as he deserves,” said Warren, who witnessed Dubovy’s athleticism as a teammate on the basketball court last season. “He’s a sophomore quarterback, it’s his first time playing varsity, and that can be a lot of pressure. When he’s making his passes he’s doing it in less than a second so he doesn’t have as much time to read the field as most quarterbacks do.”

Dubovy won the starting job for his accurate arm and the state of calmness he instills in his teammates. While it can be difficult to lead a team as an underclassmen, McGrath and Quatromoni say that Dubovy’s teammates accept that they have the best chance to win with him under center.

“Even in a small school, it’s hard to tell a kid who might be almost 19 what to do when you’re only 15 or 16,” said McGrath. “But his leadership qualities will improve as he gets older.”

“If somebody forgets what to do in the huddle, I’ve got to tell them what to do,” said Dubovy. “Remembering what everyone does has probably been the toughest part.”

As for facing a potent Cohasset team that is vying for a state championship, Dubovy already speaks like a seasoned veteran.

“They are definitely a good team, but I’m confident we can beat them if we play our game and we’re all on the same page,” said Dubovy. “If we play like we know we can and don’t make mistakes, we can win.”